Yesterday I awoke to the sad news that William Zinsser, the writer, teacher, and author of “On Writing Well” and many other books about writing, had passed away.

I wrote about Zinsser in an earlier post this year, but in the past 24 hours, I’ve had time to reflect again on what I’ve learned from him.

I thought I’d share a few of these thoughts here as my brief tribute to the man who has had a profound impact on my writing.

Writing is a craft that can be learned.

Zinsser taught me that, with instruction, examples — and most importantly, by showing up and doing the work — writing is a craft that I can learn. It’s a skill I can hone over time.

Good writing is a reflection of clear thinking.

Zinsser taught me that good writing begins and ends with clear thinking. On this he says,

My advice to writers begins with one word: Think! Ask yourself, “What do I want to say?” Then try to say it. Then ask yourself, “Have I said it?” Put yourself in the reader’s mind: is your sentence absolutely clear to someone who knows nothing about the subject? If not, think about how to make it clear. Then rewrite it.

You can learn deeply about subjects through writing.

In his book “Writing to Learn”, Zinsser taught me that I can learn deeply about any subject through the process of writing itself. Zinsser argues that writers across disciplines — science, math, business— can learn about their subjects and communicate them through writing, even if they aren’t experts in them: “prior knowledge of the subject, incidentally, isn’t a requirement; only the ability to arrange information in narrative order.”

My voice matters. So does yours.

Zinsser taught me that I have a voice and that I have the right — just as much as anyone else in this world —  to share it. Zinsser’s advice to write in the first person is his endorsement and encouragement to go forth and share what you have to say.

Amazingly, Zinsser didn’t find his writing voice until he was in his 50’s— huge encouragement for anyone struggling to get started and worrying whether “it’s too late.” It’s not too late to start writing, or to become the writer that you’ve always wanted to be.

Writing can help you touch lives through space and time.

Zinsser taught me that writing is a tool, a vehicle, for touching lives around the world and through time. His life and work are testament to this fact. Through his writings, Zinsser has bequeathed to all of us his wisdom and experience. This is a gift that we in our current generation — and our children and their children — can enjoy and benefit from in perpetuity.

The reward far outweighs the effort and the pain.

Zinsser taught me that writing is hard, but it’s the kind of effort that, if done well, can yield benefits and rewards that far exceed the investment required.

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Thank you, Mr. Zinsser.

How has William Zinsser impacted your writing, your life? Please let me know in the comments. 

You can listen to an audio version of this post on my podcast here.

Here’s a Slideshare I put together recently with some quotes from his classic book on writing, “On Writing Well”: